What’s next for Fear the Walking Dead survivor Luciana?

The unexpected loss of Nick on Season 4A of Fear the Walking Dead brings uncertainty to Luciana’s future with the remaining survivors.

Luciana had a future planned with Nick and that future is gone. Her personal losses on Fear the Walking Dead have probably been understated given all of the other happenings over the past 3 seasons, but Luciana has lost everything. Her mother was quickly taken by the apocalypse and later, her brother died in the violence and anarchy that ensued. She joined La Colonia and quickly became known as a formidable defender and leader within the community. Luciana’s future, however, would take a sharp turn when she met Nick.

Enter Nick

Nick brings complication to wherever he goes and perhaps Luciana would have been better off surviving without having met him. During his “fearless” phase, Nick decided to venture out on his own and walk among the dead. This may be great art to anyone who cares for that sort of thing in an apocalypse but it comes with risks – like being shot at by drug dealers, or being attacked by wild dogs. Both happened and Luciana and her crew eventually found him. She wanted to leave him on the road but reluctantly changed her mind, binding their destinies…for a while.

Nick forged a rocky relationship with the cartel that threatened La Colonia. It was risky, but by doing so, he and Luciana were able to make a secret plan to save many of its residents before the cartel came knocking. Unfortunately, those efforts were blunted at the US border when they were all captured and separated by Troy Otto’s militia. Luciana was badly injured in the ensuing escape and was brought to the less-than-hospitable Broke Jaw Ranch to heal. After recovering from her wound though, she felt isolated at the ranch and left for a new life in Baja.

A return to Clark life

Season 4B should tell us more about the circumstances that brought Luciana back to the Clarks and into their fledgling Stadium community. Luciana left the ranch because she felt neither welcome nor safe. When Nick refused to leave, it forced her to make the very difficult decision to leave their relationship behind and set out on her own. In a world sparsely populated by the living, it seems unusual that their paths would have again crossed by coincidence. Did Luciana’s plans to meet a friendly acquaintance in Mexicali fall through? Or, did Nick search for her after surviving the aftermath of the dam? Luciana’s involvement in the Stadium community suggests that she was there from the start and it’s reasonable to assume that she had previously reunited with the Clark party on the road.

What’s next?

The Episode 9 trailer shows Luciana but only for a moment. She appears to be in a daze with walkers behind her. It’s not clear if it’s part of a hallucination or a more dangerous situation though.

While her initial reasons for returning to the group are unclear, we do know that her relationship with Nick remained strong. Together, they had planned their future at the Stadium. When they began to disagree with Madison’s approach, they talked of leaving for a life together on their own. When Nick died, Luciana had to move on quickly with the Vultures still a threat. Now that the conflict is over, settling in among the remaining survivors may prove difficult for her without Nick.

Luciana’s total losses are not unique, but her fit among the others as she copes with them is. John and June have each other for support, while Morgan has his Eastman mantras to turn to. Strand has been an adaptable loner from the beginning, and Alicia has developed a Madison-esque resolve that will help her lead alongside Althea.

Luciana and Charlie?

This leaves Charlie. Perhaps a relationship between the two will be what helps them both recover from their traumatic journeys. Despite her loyalty to them, Nick remained devoted to the task of rescuing Charlie from the Vultures. Luciana also showed signs of affection an empathy towards her, once bringing her a copy of The Little Prince as a gift. Luciana recognized that Charlie is a child caught up in new world business, so it would be an interesting storyline if she were to bond with Charlie over Nick’s death.

Next: What's next for FTWD Survivor June?

This may not happen of course and Luciana could just as easily decide to move on again. That would be unfortunate though. Luciana’s strength and abilities would be sorely missed and there is more to her story that needs to be told.

Fear the Walking Dead returns to AMC on Sunday, August 12.